Broken
by owlchicka
Summary: It's the 47th Hunger Games. A criminal from District 5 and a Career from 2 are reaped. Thier families have a past, but do they have a future?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything (unfortunately!)**

**Too clear up any confusion, this story is in the POV of two people (alternating chapters). The first three chapters introduce, and then after that it goes into the Hunger Games.**

**Deline Halow ****  
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>I walk into our small dark kitchen. Despite the early hour, both my mom and dad are awake. Dad is heading out the door; he is probably late for work. Even though he works long hours, there is practically no money. Mom sits there at the table; there is no food. We rarely have enough to eat. When we do, it is because I stole some. Of course, my parents don't know that, they believe that I earn it honestly through a part time job. They would be horrified if they knew the truth. My mom stares at the empty chair and sighs deeply.<p>

That particular chair has been empty for almost two years now. It's been vacant ever since my twin brother Drevor was reaped for the Hunger Games two years ago. He was only fourteen. He, like so many other kids from District 5, never came back. Well he did come back, but it was in a box. Apparently he said something that ticked off the Careers; big mouths are a Halow family trait. They didn't just stab him. They took hours, slowly killing him while I was forced to watch on our tiny tv screen. The guy who led them in the act won that year. I want to scream and break something every time I see his stupid arrogant face on tv.

When Drevor died, part of me was killed with him. We were as close as siblings got. He was my partner in crime for practically everything. I choke up slightly just thinking about him. It's always worse this time of year. Reaping Day is just a couple days away.

"Deline, can you run this note over too Mr. Smith's for me?" my mom asks. She gives me a knowing look and I see the hidden message in her blue eyes. "Don't let it get in the wrong hands". My parents aren't criminals or anything. They are pretty peaceful people. Though if the Capitol knew what they are planning they would probably be labeled as treasonous. Why? Because they are planning something that would corrupt the Capitol's power, even just a little bit. It's nothing major, or even violent, it is just getting the people of District 5 to stop working for a couple days. Back before the Dark Days, it would be called a strike. Everyone here barely has enough to live on.

Honestly, if it was up to me, their little stand would include firearms, blood, every past arena being blown to bits, and the Capitol going up in flames. But, unfortunately, I'm not in control. It would be a "disastrous catastrophe" if I was, according to my friend Benson. He says it has something to do with my impulsiveness, big mouth, and utter lack of patience. It is my personal belief that he is just jealous that I came up with the idea first.

I take the small piece of paper from my mom's outstretched hand. She looks so fragile sitting there. She smiles and thanks me. I cram it into my pocket and head out the door into the early morning sunshine. I deliver the message to Mr. Smith, who seems grateful for the intel.

I take off down the narrow street towards the town square. Someone grabs my wrist and spins me around. Oh crap. It's Aasir Brae, also known as peacekeeper asshole. He is young, probably in his early twenties. He is trying to become Head Peacekeeper. I really hope he doesn't succeed. He hates me. Not without reason, I usually end up causing way more trouble than necessary, making more work for him. I'm actually surprised he hasn't killed me yet.

"What are you doing Deline?" he asks with a smirk, "you wouldn't happen to know about the West Granary break in would you?"

"There was a robbery?" I ask as innocently as possible. As of right now, all that grain that disappeared is making its way around the poorer side of town, including my home.

"Don't pull that," he snaps, "I know you and Benson had something to do with this."

"There was evidence? You can't arrest me just based on suspicion."

He shoves me against a brick wall and blocks me when I try to side step around him. "I can arrest you on the account that you broke out of jail last week"

"Come on, seriously? You know you were just gonna let me out in a couple hours. And anyway, you aren't in charge."

He grits his teeth and glares at me. I smirk; I absolutely love ruining his day. Without warning, his face softens and he gets this weird glint in his eyes. His hand reaches out and runs down the side of my face. I jerk back but he puts his hand under my chin and forces me to look up at him.

I smack his hand away from me and try to step around him. Again, he blocks my path. He is a big guy, not fat, but broad shouldered and muscular. I can't get around him. I'm not liking where this is going.

Aasir's hands rest on my shoulders as he pushes me gently into the wall. They slowly trail down the scooped neckline of my shirt as he says, "I will be willing to forget this little incident if you'd be mine for the ni-" I cut off his words with a punch to his nose. I feel his bones crunch under my fist. My hand is speckled with the blood that is now pouring from Aasir's nose. His nose is lying completely crooked on his face. I shove him to the ground and run.

No one gives me weird stares or anything as I dash by them. It's not an uncommon sight to see me running from peacekeepers. Heck, half these people will probably give out false information for me. I look behind me to see if anyone is pursuing and I crash into someone.

Strong arms catch me before I hit the ground. I look up into Benson's face, "Now what?" he laughs, "we get caught?"

I grab his hand and drag him after me, "Run now, talk later!" We dash down the narrow streets of District 5, occasionally switching our path by cutting through alleyways.

I stop once I think we are far enough away. "Well, peacekeeper asshole knows it was us."

"No duh. Who else is stupid enough to try something like that?"

"I wouldn't call it stupid. Crazy, maybe, but not stupid."

"Do your parents know?" he asks.

I roll my eyes. "You know I would be so dead if they knew. They are firm believers that peaceful words are better than action. You know what? They were just telling me what a bad influence you are." I laugh.

"That's funny. I just got the same lecture from my dad after he found out we got arrested. He was livid beyond belief. He kept going on and on about how reputations never leave a person."

"Hey I can't be the influence-er, you're older than me."

"Oh yeah, six months is a huge difference," he says shoving me gently.

I sigh, "Peacekeeper asshole is beyond ticked at me. I broke his perfect little nose."

"Why would you do something like that? That's kinda reckless-and stupid-even for you."

"I didn't mean too. He was going all creeper. I couldn't help it." Benson looks at me for a long minute. I really don't want to talk about it, so I switch subjects, "Can I, like, stay at your place? My mom is really depressed right now, and I just can't deal with it." My voice catches slightly. Benson is one of the few people who actually understands me. Probably because he felt the same pain I did. Drevor was his best firend.

Though some people might think so, I'll be the first to say that there is nothing romantic between Benson and me. He has practically been my other brother since we were nine years old. He balances me. His ever present calmness and thoughtfulness counteracts my own reckless and impulsiveness. We make a good team.

"Come on. Let's get out of here."

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	2. Chapter 2

**Tavian Brae**

The sword is an extension of my arm as it slashes through the dummy's neck. I spin around and attack another one, sending the blade through its body, leg, and then with a flourish I take off its head. The fake blood squirts out from it. I twirl the sword in my hand. It feels natural, as it should. I have been training for the Games since the day I turned eight.

"Hey Nate!" I yell for my trainer, "Can you get me some more dummies?"

The man comes down the stairs, lugging three of them behind him. He looks around at the stuffing carnage and fake blood strewn across the floor. He laughs, "When you asked for more I thought you meant that you stabbed them, not obliterated them."

"Well, I don't do anything halfway."

"I think you're ready."

"Think! I fricken KNOW I'm ready. I've been training for nine years already. I don't want to go in when I'm eighteen. I'm volunteering this year."

"If that is what you plan to do, I firmly believe that you should go for it. But just imagine what another year would do for you."

"It would do nothing."

After another hour of weight lifting, I take the road home to the Victor's Village. My stupid brother Lux won two years ago, so I basically live in luxury. We were rich before that; my dad owns practically everything in District 2. But now we have an amazing house to further prove that power. When I win, I will have my own huge mansion. I can't stand living with Lux. He is loud, stupid, arrogant, and ugh, I just want to kill him sometimes.

Speak of the devil. Lux walks-no struts-in, no sense of humility there. One thing I hate about him is that we look exactly alike, despite the fact that he is three years older than me. We both have the same build, the same brown eyes, and the same golden blonde hair, though I let mine grow longer so there is some difference. I can't go anywhere without people noticing me. I get a whole lot of "Are you related to Lux Brae? I love him!" by girls or "Your brother is awesome" from guys.

"You stink. Just get back from training?"

"No, I was messing with your latest girlfriend," a lie, but it ticks him off.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he yells as he lunges for me. I dodge his flying fists. The moment he takes a breath, I take a jab at him and sink my fist into his stomach. The air rushes out of him.

"So what happened?" I taunt, "The greatest victor of the decade just got beat up by his younger brother, the future victor of the 47th Hunger Games."

Lux just rolled his eyes and grabbed an apple. "Only 'cause I let you. 47th? You're seventeen. Dad said you were volunteering next year."

"Well Dad was wrong. I'm gonna go in with a year less training that you had. And I'm gonna win. And the Capitol will constantly praise the greatest Brae victor, me."

He raises his eyebrows, "Oh really?" Before I know what is happening, Lux twisted my arm behind me and pinned me against the kitchen wall. "Wanna take that back? Or do you want to eat the wall?"

"It's true," I mutter.

"That's it kid," he says as he shoves my face into the wall.

A cutting voice fills the kitchen, "Lux put your brother down." Ugh, Mom. Really? I can handle myself.

Lux mutters quickly, "Yes, mamm." No one, not even victors, dare to cross my mom when she uses that tone of voice. The second she turns around Lux hisses into my ear, "Momma's boy." Then he says louder, "Did you know that little Tavian is volunteering this year?"

My mom spins around quickly, "You're what? Tavian, honey, we've had this talk. Not until next year, remember?" Why did she have to call me honey? I'm not ten anymore. And in front of Lux of all people!

Yeah we've had that talk. Mainly it was my dad telling me to wait 'til I was eighteen, so I'd be the oldest and have the longest possible training time. But that isn't my plan. I want to do it this year. Lux was eighteen and basically just went around butchering kids; I want to be younger than he was. The extra year of training would be worthless, in my mind anyway.

But then she throws her hands in the air and continues, "Why must you do this to me? I don't want to suffer as I watch you on television. You should be a peacekeeper instead, like Aasir. You'd be good at that."

My overly dramatic mom fusses over me way too much. I think about her words. I really don't want to be a peacekeeper in some poorer district. There is no glory in that. I am going to fight in the 47th Hunger Games, and win.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Deline Halow  
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>I slowly open my eyes. Something isn't right. I'm lying on the ground. The light is dim and there is a weird smoky aroma. I'm definitely not at Benson's anymore. My body feels sore, but I'm not sure why. I lift my hand to brush my hair out of my face, and end up dragging my other arm up with me. Handcuffs. Crap. Did peacekeeper asshole catch us? What happened?<p>

First things first, I need to get out of these handcuffs. At least District 5 uses the weak pathetic type; can't exactly afford anything better. They aren't that hard to escape from. I twist and bend my left wrist and put pressure on the "soft spot" of the hinge. I yank my right arm and the metal falls off. It's pretty sad how easily I can do that. It's one of those practice make perfect things.

"Huh, I've always wondered how you did that." I'd recognize that voice anywhere, mainly 'cause it's always yelling at me. Aasir. My situation went from bad to worse. I start to get to my feet, but he plants his foot on me pinning me down. My eyes adjust to the light and I see him clearer. It is not a pretty picture. His big arm that he is always flexing is in a sling. But worse, a long red gash runs down the side of his face. It starts at the top of his forehead and then runs down his cheek, just barely missing his eye. His broken crooked nose points right to it like a flashing sign.

"What happened to you?"

"Smart ass. What do ya mean, what happened to you?" He hauls me completely off the ground with his good arm. I don't exactly weigh all that much, but it still surprises me that he can do that. He drops me and I fall to the ground, skinning my knees.

Before he can do any real harm, a voice barks out, "Peacekeeper Brae, don't hurt our guest." It always annoyed me that the Head Peacekeeper always called the prisoners "guests".

"Fine, she is just gonna be dead in a day anyway." Aasir says as he stalks out of the jail cell and locks it behind him. Dead in a day? What the crap! Someone explain please?

"Um, what's goin' on?" I ask. I seriously missed some vital details here. Vital details regarding my life!

The Head Peacekeeper just spins around and aims a gun at me. I stare at the loaded barrel for a brief second. Then everything hits me like a slap in the face. Only the memory is much, much more painful.

_I was walking home with Benson, to grab my stuff. The familiar road is a lot more crowded than normal. I shove my way through the crowd, trying to get to my house. It is surrounded by peacekeepers. _

_"The robbery wouldn't lead to this, we've done worse, like that fire," Benson hissed in my ear, "What's the punishment for assaulting a peacekeeper? Death?"__  
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><em>"A little punch in self defense isn't an assault," I whisper back. But I'm worried. Would they kill me? Would it hurt? They wouldn't take it out on my parents would they?<em>

_I get closer, trying to get a decent view. I can't believe my eyes. I can't believe my parents, my pacifist parents, would be hiding something so deadly. Peacekeepers are swarming the place, dragging at least a hundred weapons with them. They keep on bringing out more. What the heck is going on?_

_I sneak in as close as I can without being seen. I practically hide behind the District's giant butcher. I strain my ears to catch bits of conversation. The older lady to my right says something along the lines of "Heavens above! How could they have gotten away with it for so long? All those explosives hidden under the floorboards!" Explosives! My parents? The man next to her says that he heard a rumor that the Halows were starting a rebellion, but he hadn't believed it until now. I can't believe it either. Why didn't they tell me?_

_"What's goin' on?" Benson asks. I shush him and then shrug my shoulders. I still have only vague ideas. So much for that nonviolent strike. There were enough guns for a small army, all under my feet! Who would've ever guessed? _

_I scan the crowd. I lock eyes with my mom, who is being held by a couple peacekeepers. She sees me. Her blue eyes, filled with tears, burn into mine. She yells something, but I can't hear her over the din of the crowd. It was single syllable. One? Won? Gun? Run! She said run! I look at her again, looking for confirmation. Bang! The gunshot sounds loudly over the noise. My mom crumbles to the ground, blood streaming from her head. Everything goes in slow motion, as she falls. My mom hits the concrete, right by my dad. I didn't even notice him until now. No! They are dead! It can't be! Their murderer turns to face the crowd. Somehow, I knew it was him before I saw his face. Aasir Brae. His fricken face shines with pride._

_That does it. I don't know what I am thinking. Heck, I 'm not thinking at all. My brain goes numb and my grief takes over. Next thing I know, I have a knife. I'm not exactly sure how I got it. Probably from the butcher. I really don't know though. I leap into action. I am surrounded by white uniformed peacekeepers. Then all I see is bright red. _

I stare at Aasir through the bars of the cell. I slap my hand over my mouth to prevent a sob from escaping. I feel the single wet tear run down my face. "You killed my parents," I whisper, it is barely audible, but he hears it.

"You killed six peacekeepers and injured three others, including me!" he snaps back.

I can't help it, the words escape from my lips again, "You killed my parents."

He smiles wickedly, "Yeah, I did. And I'm gonna watch your execution too. It's been a long time in coming, but justice is finally being served. Too bad you had to take out half of the peacekeepers under my charge to get it." The Head Peacekeeper jerks his head towards the hall, and peacekeeper asshole follows him out of sight.

My brother died by the hands of Lux Brae. My parents died by the gun of Aasir Brae. The thought is sickening. Two brothers destroyed everyone I loved. I wish that whole fricken family would die. They have caused me too much pain. Overcome with grief, I welcome the thought of death.


	4. Chapter 4

**Tavian Brae**

Reaping Day! The day that begins my journey to everlasting fame and glory. I jump out of bed and take a quick shower. I head down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast, man am I starving.

I sit down, unfortunately the only open chair is next to Lux. I take a big bite of bacon, then look around. One, two, three, four...five? I count again quickly. Yeah that's right, five. I mentally go through the checklist. Mom, Dad, Lux, me. That's four. My calculating gets interrupted by a cutting voice, "You're observant this morning."

Finally I connect the dots. "Aasir?" I hadn't seen my brother for the past, I dunno, year and a half. He looks like crap. His nose is broken and the whole right side of his face is practically mutilated. At least I won't get mistaken for him. "You look great! You just got a little cut," I reach up and touch my face where the gash is on Aasir's face.

"Shut up." he growls angrily.

"Aasir! I can not believe that you let District 5 uncivilize you! We do not use phrases like shut up at the breakfast table," Mom lectured him. I laugh and she glares at me for a brief moment.

"So," Lux starts with his mouth full, "What happened to your face? I must say that the look fits you."

He rolled his eyes. "Nose broke when I got into a fight with this huge gambler. If you think I look bad, you should see him." He laughs bitterly. "My battle scar is from when some idiots decided to start a rebellion. I killed them and that freaking bit-" he stops and looks at Mom, "I mean brat, took it hard. Knifed me. No big."

Lux grins, "So you got fired?"

Aasir just grits his teeth, "I wasn't fired; I'm on break."

"That's not what the letter on Dad's desk says."

My Dad looks mad, but Mom speaks out, "Lux, you shouldn't be reading other's private property!"

"It's my house. It's my property!" he snaps back. Oh no. The beginning of another Brae family argument. I'm going to sneak out while I still can. I scoot back my chair and leave the kitchen. No one even noticed. I decide to head to the District's center, where the Reapings are held. Might as well position myself where the cameras will get a good view of me.

I'm standing there thinking about my victory, when a hand claps down on my shoulder. My first instinct is to spin around and punch my attacker in the face. I get a solid hit, but then I realize who it is.

"Nice shot. Hey, I wanna tell you something, before you volunteer." Lux says.

"Don't tell me not to." I scowl at him, no one is going to stop me.

He laughs, "I'm not. Just warning you. It's not all fun and fame. There is a lot of pain too."

"What are you talking about? You didn't even get injured!"

"Not physical pain, though there might be some of that. I meant, like, mental pain. I can't close my eyes without seeing those kids I killed."

"Ooh scary. I didn't know you believed in ghosts." I laugh. He can't be serious.

"I didn't, don't." he sighs, this is the most emotional I've ever seen him. It's funny. "When you go on the victory tour, you'll understand. You see their families with tears in their eyes. Or worse, glaring at you wishing you dead because you killed their son, daughter, or sibling, or something."

"Whatever, you just don't want me to do it because I will outshine you." Lux just stares at me and then rolls his eyes. He turns around and then marches up to the stage to join District 2's other victors. There are a lot of them up there.

Some Capitol lady with purple skin and aqua hair bounces up to the podium and peppily starts reading the Treaty of Treason. I sort of space out during it, only because I've heard it so many times.

I'm jerked back to reality when her squeaky voice says "What's your name, sweetie?" Some blonde chick is standing there, she probably just volunteered.

"Cleo Hart, your next victor!" Yeah, right. That's my job. I look over my competition. She looks strong, but I'll kill her with no problem.

The Capitol lady chirps "Now for the boys!"

That is my cue. "I volunteer!" I yell before she even reaches the giant glass bowl. I lock eyes with my mom. She looks disappointed. Oh well, tough luck.

"Oh, how exciting!" She looks at me for a long moment, "Oh, I bet you are related to Lux Brae!"

I just knew she was going to say that. "Yes I am," I say, "I'm Tavian Brae"

She squeaks into the microphone, "Oh goody! This is going to be fabulous! District 2, I present your tributes for the 47th Hunger Games!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Deline Halow**

I have nothing to live for. I am going to die. A bullet through the head most likely, just like my mom. I wonder if it will hurt. My last fricken day on earth and I have to spend it in jail. I can't even see the sun. What I wouldn't give to feel its warm rays on my skin. I'd give much more for my parents to be alive. But that can never change.

"Get up," The Head Peacekeeper's voice snaps at me.

"Make me," I snap back. Bad choice of words. He forcefully hauls me off the ground and slams me into the brick wall. My face painfully scrapes against the rough surface. I barely stifle a scream as he twists my arms behind me. The familiar metal shackles get clamped around my wrists and then he drags me behind him. My shoulders burn horribly with every step.

The bright sunshine warms my face as I am dragged outside. "Where you takin' me?" I yell.

"Town Square. It's Reaping Day," he answers gruffly. Great, some of my last memories will be of watching kids get their death sentence. Not a happy thought. The place is packed. Everyone is so tense, and afraid. I scan the crowd. I finally see Benson. Our eyes meet. I smile even though there is little joy. At least he is safe. A hand covers my face and forcefully jerks my head in the opposite direction.

Some creepy looking Capitol guy steps up on the stage. Benson and I would have made fun of him for weeks. He has light grey skin, piercing red eyes, and pointed teeth. His deep voice oddly clashes with the Capitol accent as he reads the Treaty of Treason.

He walks over the giant bowl filled with girl's names. I send up a quick prayer hoping that whoever it will be won't die slowly. I never expected to hear my name. "Deline Halow!" the Capitol man's sinister voice called out. My mouth goes completely dry and I feel my eyes widen in shock. This can't be happening.

Something cold and hard jabs deep into my back. I know without looking that it is a gun. "Ya gonna take these damn things off me?" I say, raising my trapped arms behind me.

A small pistol gets pressed against my head as the peacekeeper fumbles with the key. "Don't try anything stupid," he threatens.

"Seriously? You already got a death warrant on me, it would be pointless to try to escape now!" I snap at him. The shackles fall off my wrists with a clatter. I take a quick look at Benson; he looks horrified. I spin around and face the stage, on it were huge screens. Apparently they had been showing me this whole time. That can't be good. I catch a glimpse of the Head Peacekeeper's furious face. He looks so disappointed. Ha. I smirk as I march up the stairs to the stage.

Deep breaths. I need to calm down. The creepy Capitol man steps back as far away as possible from me. Then he continues his decrees of death by reaching his clawed hand into the bowl of guys names. I barely have time to think as he calls out "Ryan Vot". I don't know him, thank goodness. A tall trembling boy moves slowly from the twelve year old section. Poor kid. He looks traumatized. The Capitol man, the escort, declares us the tributes of District 5 and we quickly get ushered off the stage and into a car.

I get threatened only six times on the way to the Justice Building. I, literally, get thrown into a room. I curl up in the corner of the huge couch. I think about past Games. A bullet to the head is looking better and better. At least it would be quick.

My morbid thoughts are interrupted when Benson comes flying through the door. Before I can say anything, he grabs me and pulls me into a hug. This comforts me, ever so slightly.

"Do you think that these things are rigged? I think it was," I whisper.

He looks at me for a minute, pondering the question. "Well, if District 5 wanted a victor, you would be the best bet. You should've seen yourself taking out those peacekeepers. It took like twelve of them to finally overwhelm you, and even then they had to use a taser." Taser, huh? I guess that explains why I was so achey.

"That's not what I meant. They want me to die; that's why I was reaped. I'm not coming back."

He shoves me lightly, "Don't talk like that," he snaps at me.

"It's true. Do you really think they will let me come home? If someone doesn't kill me, some natural disaster will take me out." Benson's brows press together in deep thought. "Quit that!" I tell him.

"What?"

"That face. You're gonna give yourself brain damage or somthin'" He smiles lightly, but he looks hurt.

A peacekeeper walks in and I throw my arms around Benson for one last reassuring hug before he is escorted out. Then I am dragged to the train that will lead to my death.

**A review every once in awhile will be nice...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Tavian Brae**

I walk into the Capitol's huge training center. It is breathtaking. Every weapon I could ever dream about is right here begging to be used. Where to start? Where to start?

I walk up to Rocke, the guy from District 4, and probably my closest ally. From when we talked at the Opening Ceremonies, I gathered that while he is a Career down to the core, he is pretty intelligent too. We already have plans to stick together and betray the rest of the Careers. This year's Games are going to be gory.

"So you want to start with weapons?" he asks.

"Yeah!" As we walk by, the little girl from 8 starts trembling at the sight of us. She is probably twelve years old and definitely a bloodbath. I'll be surprised if she lasts the first ten minutes. I look directly at her and she ducks behind a dummy.

We work at the weapons station for a little bit. I am already better than most of the "experts" that are supposed to teach us, especially at sword fighting. So I mess around with stuff I've never thought of using like whips. Definitely not my forte.

"Hey, Tavian, strategy-wise, if we are going to destroy the Careers early on, we need to know how to survive. Want to learn about edible plants?" Rocke speaks up. I'd honestly work with weapons, show off my strengths. But he has a point. I look around for the booth. There are so many random ones, like sewing. What would you do with that? Poke someone's eyes out? Pretty worthless if you ask me.

I finally spot it. There is some tiny, dark-haired girl sitting on the counter staring blankly at the greenery in front of her. She looks just as confused as I'll probably be. "Are you sure you don't want to do it for the hot chick?" I turn to ask Rocke, but he is already gone. When I catch up to him, he is at the booth talking to the girl. One corner of her mouth is upturned in a half smile. She looks at me and the smile disappears quickly.

Rocke doesn't notice, "Come on, I told you my name. What's yours?"

The girl doesn't take her deep blue eyes off of me as she answers, "Deline. What District you from?"

Rocke grins, "District 4"

Her eyes blaze, "Not you! Him!" she snaps, jerking her head my direction.

He answers for me, "2." The girl's eyes narrow as she glares at me. Man, if looks could kill...

Mom always said to be polite. Might as well, because I will probably be killing her in a couple days anyway, "I'm Tavian Br-" I can't even get my whole name out. The girl, Deline, leaps off the counter-kicking Rocke in the face as she did so-and throws herself at me. She gets a couple swift punches in. But I've been training my whole life. She is nothing.

Instinct takes over and I grab her arm and spin her around. She gasps as I snap her arm backwards. I let go and she goes flying from the momentum. The determined little thing doesn't stop though. She is quickly back on her feet. She ducks and avoids a punch to the face. Ouch! My arms burn as she drags her nails down them, drawing blood. This chick won't stop attacking.

I am vaguely aware that all other noises have stopped. There is no talking or thuds as spears hit targets. It is completely silent. Everyone is watching. I hear laughter, "Need help, Tavian?" Rocke asks.

"No!" I snap. It's too late though. He walks up and just picks the girl up and throws her over his shoulder. That simple. She cusses him out loudly. Her fists are pounding madly on his back, but he doesn't loosen his grip. When she notices that her punches aren't working, she switches to driving her elbows into him.

"Put me down, you effin' son of a b-" her yell shifts into a scream of terror when Rocke does a quick spin. He grins.

"I don't know. Should I?" he replies looking around the training center. His eyes lock on the knot tying station. He made up his mind. He marches over there and throws the girl down on the counter. In a matter of seconds, he has her pinned down and is tying her arms behind her. He finishes up, dusts off his hands, and walks back over to me.

"Nice," I mutter. I can't believe he butt in. I could've handled her. She is small and obviously undernourished. I'm strong and have had years of training. I look back over at her, what's-her-name, Deline. No way. She just escaped from her bonds, unhelped! She stomps up as she folds and twists the piece of rope. She swings it around and smacks me hard in the chest with it. I stumble backwards. Did not expect that to hurt as much as it did. In the same fluid movement she spins around and nails Rocke in the leg.

She pauses and I punch her in the stomach. She doubles over as the air goes out of her. I follow up quickly with a blow to the face. She crumbles to the ground. Out of nowhere, a boot nudges her lightly, a gray peacekeeper's boot. She doesn't move. The boot kicks out harder and she stirs. They have a gun pointed to her head. Dazed, she looks up into the gun and smiles lightly.

"You don't have to do that. We both know you're not gonna shoot," Deline laughs. The peacekeeper hauls her off the ground. I am so busy watching her, that I didn't even noticed that I am surrounded. A gun is pointed straight at me. Oh crap. Please don't shoot, please don't shoot. I can't become a victor if I'm dead before the Games even start.

"You, you, and you," a gamemaker says, pointing to me, Rocke, and Deline, "come with me." We get escorted out with guns pointed at us. This is not good.


	7. Chapter 7

**Deline Halow**

He was like a ghost that came from the past to haunt me, reminding me of my loss, my hurt, and my constant pain. Tavian Brae, the stinkin' spitting image of the rest of his family. I guess I should be glad, it will give me a purpose in these cursed Games. I am going to kill him. I will enjoy every fricken second of it. I hope that his stupid brothers watch it. I hope that they feel the pain that I felt when Lux slowly killed my brother Drevor and when Aasir shot my parents. I will kill him if it's the last thing I do.

Honestly, attacking him at the Training Center was not my brightest idea ever. First off, he is a lot bigger than I first anticipated, stronger too. Secondly, he had a stupid ally by him. I couldn't help it though, I wasn't thinking. Not smart at all, I really need to learn to control my temper a bit better, or it will be the death of me. Now, in addition to him hating me and wanting to kill me, we are being escorted down the long hallways to who knows where.

Armed peacekeepers surround us as we follow some Gamemaker. The guys are close behind me. I look over my shoulder. Ha, they look terrified. I turn around and start walking backwards, facing them.

"Scared?" I ask with a smile, just to tease them a bit.

Tavian grits his teeth, must be a family habit or something. Aasir did the same thing whenever he was mad, and usually whenever I saw him he was mad. "No," he says, but he is looking warily at the guns.

"You do realize that they aren't loaded, right?" Stupid! I could smack myself for saying that. He doesn't need to know that.

"Really?" the District 4 loser speaks up. I hate him too, but not as much as Brae.

Well, can't stop now. "Yeah, you see that switch." I rip a gun out of one of the peacekeepers hands and point to the spot, "It's pressed in if there's any ammo in it." It's amazing what you learn when you're in prison and keep your ears open. The peacekeeper glares at me and takes back her weapon. The two guys relax slightly.

The Gamemaker grips my shoulder and turns me around. "In here," he says in that hilarious accent. We enter a room, it kinda reminds me of the principal's office back in elementary school. I spent quite a bit of time there growing up, mostly for sassing the teachers. He directs us to some chairs. "Sit down," he orders. It is hard to take him serious with his voice. As soon as we sit, a peacekeeper shackles us to the chair by one arm. He does the same thing, with the opposite ankle, attaching it to the leg of the chair. Well, that's a new one.

"Were any of you paying attention when we said no fighting?" he asks as he sits down on the desk. I must've totally missed that discussion.

"Is it necessary to lock us up for this lecture?" District 4 guy asks. Huh, I was about ready to say the same thing.

"Simply procedure, sorry. Fight and pay the consequences," the man replies, not in the least bit apologetic. He continues, "Who started it?" I roll my eyes. As if they don't have cameras constantly watching us. No one answers, but both guys are glaring at me. I don't exactly blame them.

"Deline?"

"What?" I say, mocking his accent.

"Records indicate that it might have been you."

This surprises me, "What records?"

"School records, criminal reports..." Of course the Capitol has that stuff now that I am their latest entertainment.

"Criminal reports?" Tavian asks, startled.

"Ah yes. This little girl gave peacekeepers quite a hard time. Vandalism, robberies, setting fire to the peacekeeper apartments..." Why is he telling them this stuff! I really don't need, or want, them to hear this.

"Hey, the fire was an accident," I say. The Capitol man looks at me pointedly, "mostly," I mutter as an afterthought.

I was hoping that after that the man would shut up. Luck is not on my side today. He reads off some list he has; it makes me sound really bad, "Assaulting a peacekeeper..."

Why won't this guy shut up!"That was self defense!" I snap, defending myself.

The man glares at me and continues, "Mur-"

Oh crap. I really don't like that word. Murder. I know that I am guilty, but I'm not sorry one bit. My parents were murdered, and no one even thought of accusing those idiot peacekeepers. But I get blamed for, well, ok, I did kill. I can't get around it. But still. I cut him off, "Ok, I think we get the picture. I started it!"

The Gamemaker grins at my confession. I really want to punch him right now. I probably would've too, if I wasn't shackled to this dumb chair. He stands up and walks towards the door. No way, is he really leaving? The door clicks shut behind him.

"Thanks a lot. Now we're missing vital training time!" Brae snaps. Really! Is that all he cares about?

"Lemme guess, you've been training you're whole fricken life. You don't need the time. The poor kids out there need it more than you ever will. They need every bit of help they can get. You don't!" I practically yell at him. It's true. I'm glad they are sitting back here. It will help everyone else, so maybe they will stand a chance out in that arena. I don't care who wins, as long as it's not Tavian.

Okay, I've had enough of these stuck up Careers. I examine the chains holding me to the chair. They are exactly the same as the ones used in District 5. Easy to break out of. I was kinda expecting something, I dunno, a little bit more challenging. Oh well. I break out of the one holding my wrist and then bend over to free my ankle. That one takes two tries, only 'cause I never done it like that before.

I stand up, "Well, this has been fun, but I've gotta get outta here. See ya!" I smile at the guys; they look pretty ticked.

I start to walk to the door but the District 4 guy calls out, "So, you're just going to leave us here?"

"No duh."

"You can't just leave," he states. He sounds like a spoiled brat, if you ask me.

"Watch me," I snap. As I walk by, Tavian grabs my wrist with his free hand. "Let go!" I yell, but he just tightens his grip. I try to pull away, but he yanks me down into his arms. I'm basically in his lap. This is really awkward.

"I'll let go," he starts, oh great, there is gonna be a catch, "if you free me."

"Gimme one good reason why I should," I demand. There is no reason at all that he could give me that will motivate me to release him.

He hesitates than answers, "Well, for starters you got us into this when you attacked me for no reason!"

"I had a reason, a damn good one too!"

"What was it?" Shoot. Should've known that one was coming. I'm not gonna tell him that I hate his guts. Not his guts specifically, mostly his brothers'. Revenge works in weird ways sometimes. Well, on second thought I should tell. He should know the reason why I'm going to kill him. Now just isn't the time to tell. I wriggle out of his grasp. He sighs. That's odd.

I fling open the door and march out of the tiny office, glad to be away from him.


	8. Chapter 8

**Tavian Brae**

That dumb girl just left us chained in here. Part of me, the angry side, wants to break her thin arm. The other side of me respects her. I mean, seriously, who is brave enough-or stupid enough-to attack the strongest, most powerful guy here. Also, the whole "look at me, I just totally broke out of this place" thing is kind of sexy. Now, that I'm thinking about it, she is pretty attractive in a badass kind of way. Deline is different than the girls back in 2.

About an hour later, a peacekeeper comes back to release Rocke and me. I never realized that freedom tasted so sweet.

We go back to the training center, just in time for lunch. I quickly finish eating and head out into the adjoining hallway to plot my next couple of hours in the training room. First, mess with weapons, than take a break and get back to those edible plants, after that maybe I'll learn how to do some camouflage stuff. It looks pretty neat, not that I'd need it. Then I'll be off at weapons again.

My planning is interrupted when Deline walks by. "What's up?" I ask, catching up with her.

She glares at me with beautiful blue eyes for a second. I'd be glad to get anything but a glare from her. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Then she leans against a wall and slides down to sit. She draws her legs up to her and wraps her arms around them, like it's the only thing holding her together. She opens her eyes and stares at me, not quite so much hate this time. I sit down next to her.

"What's life like in District 2?" she asks. Ok, not what I was expecting, but at least it was halfway civilized.

"Cool, I guess," after an awkward pause I say, "I don't even know where you're from."

A half smile plays on the corner of her lips, "5"

"Hey, my brother..." I start, but she cuts me off.

"Aasir. Yeah, I know. He hated me." Well I can imagine why, if half of those crimes the Gamemaker listed were true.

"He's not exactly the nicest person," I say, trying to keep her talking.

"Ugh, I know. Peacekeeper asshole," she stops for a second. I laugh. "Sorry, but that was his unofficial nickname." She sighs and bites her lip. She opens her mouth to say something, but then stops. She takes a long deep breath before saying, "he killed my parents." My eyes widen. I didn't know that. No wonder she hates him. Her voice drops to a mere whisper, "He shot them. I was standing right there."

"I'm sorry," I say. I know I should say something else, but I don't know what.

"I don't want your sympathy," she snaps, "And anyway, I'm not done. You have another brother?"

"Yeah, Lux. He won the Games,"

She interrupts me again and sighs, "Two years ago, I know." Of course she knows. Everybody knows. I am always in Lux's shadow. He gets everything, the fame, the money, the girls. Ugh, I bet she has a crush on him. Go figure. She surprises me by saying, "My brother was in it that year. Lux slowly ripped him to shreds."

I remember watching that. At the time I was torn between admiration and horror. Now that I visualize the scene again-the boy's taunts and screams of pain as the knife cut through him again and again- through his family's eyes. The image scars me. I shudder slightly and look at Deline. Now that I think about it, I can see the resemblance. I wonder what Deline sees when she looks at me. A heartless murderer? Someone who destroyed her life? A threat?

She stands up and looks down at me, "Now you know," she says softly. She pauses for a second before continuing, "why I have to kill you"

I watch her walk away. Kill me? Yeah right. I'm going to win this thing. I'm not even sure if she could seriously hurt me. Ok, maybe she can hurt me, but there is no way she can actually kill me.

I can't stop thinking about her words, and just her in general. Somehow, I know where she is at all times. It's weird and sort of disturbing. I watch her when I can, but if she catches me looking she glares. I never get the chance to talk to her again, either I'm busy or she's avoiding me. The rest of the training time goes by without event until the last day, the morning before our private sessions.

"I'm bored of this," Rocke complains, "let's just get to the arena already!"

"Yeah, it's the same old stuff everyday," I agree

A wicked grin lights up his face, "You up for a dare? Get some excitement going on here?"

"Anything sounds good to me," I say, but I'm slightly nervous. This could lead to anything.

"We'll both do it." Okay, if he is willing to do it too, it can't be that bad. Can it? Rocke continues, "We did this all the time back home. I pick a girl, and you gotta kiss her on the lips for at least twenty seconds. Then I'll do the same, to your choice."

Not bad, so I challenge him, "You gotta do that nervous wreck of District 8"

"Seriously? I was hoping for your District partner, she's hot," he complains. I shrug, it's his game. He doesn't protest any farther. He just marches up to the girl and pulls her to him and presses his lips to hers. I start counting the seconds. One, Mississippi, two Mississippi. I have no idea why you have to say that weird word between numbers. It's just something we've always done. When Rocke pulls back, the girl looks like she's in shock or something. She trembles slightly and her hand flies to her mouth.

Rocke laughs as he walks back over to me. "That was only sixteen seconds," I tell him.

"She was twelve! Your turn Tavian." I look around the training center. Opal the District 1 girl isn't bad looking, I could do her no problem. Ugh, I hope he doesn't pick the troll from 12. Who knows! My thoughts are interrupted by Rocke saying, "You hear me? Get out of la la land and kiss her!"

"Huh? I wasn't paying attention."

"I said you have to make out with that 5 bitch who wants you dead." Oh crap, Deline. It didn't cross my mind that she would be the one. She is across the room, learning basic spear defenses. You can tell that she is out of her element with it. She would probably handle something smaller, like a dagger, much better.

"Um, can I wait 'til she's not armed?" This can not go well. I'm not scared, actually excited is the better word, but I'm worried about her response. If she is willing attack me with nothing, imagine her with a weapon.

Rocke stares at her for a second, "Fine, but you can't back out. As soon as she goes to something less violent, you better do it."

It's not too long before Deline gives up in frustration, throws the spear on the ground, and stomps off. Rocke nudges me. I take a deep breath and walk over to her. She leans against a booth trying to manipulate a piece of rope to do her bidding.

"Hey," I say.

"What do you want!" she snaps.

"Nothing," I stand and watch her for a minute. From across the room, Rocke makes faces at me.

Deline brushes her hair out of her face and looks at me, "What!" Apparently she doesn't like me so close. Well, it's now or never. I tangle my hand in her dark hair and pull her face towards mine. She gasps and struggles beneath my grasp. I don't let her go. She pounds her fists against my chest and tries to jerk away.

I can't get enough of her sweet lips. The weird thing is that the more she tries to get away, the more I want her. I slide my other hand down her back and she freezes at the touch. I pull her body towards mine so she is pressed against me. That ticks her off even more. She hits me again and again, but I don't really feel it. I feel her hands rest gently on my face-a perfect moment- before she tries to pry me off. After a long moment her hands slowly release the pressure and they slide slowly down my neck and end up on my chest. My skin tingles where she touched me. For the first time, isn't trying to hurt me or shove me off of her; her hands just stay relaxed.

She holds completely still in the embrace. I can feel her heart pound madly against me. Her lips part ever so slightly. I taste her soft warm breath as I inhale. I slowly trace my tongue around the inside of her lip and she doesn't resist. In fact, she relaxes and I feel all the tension leave her body. I really don't want to stop. Without conscious thought, I trail my lips up her jaw. As soon as my mouth leaves hers, she gasps lightly and pulls away.

Deline's face is mere inch away from mine. She stares at me with what I hope is desire in her eyes. Her long eyelashes flutter as she shuts her eyes. I lean in again but she shoves me away and hesitantly steps back. I stare at her for long minute. She seems at loss for words, or movement.

"Deline?" I ask. She snaps back to reality. Her hand flies out and smacks me hard in the face.

"What the heck was that!" she almost yells.

Oh crap, what do I say now? I didn't think about what would happen after. I say the first thing that hits my mind, "I love you." What in the world! Where did that come from?

Her jaw drops slightly as she cautiously stares at me. Apparently she is as surprised as I am. She starts to say something, but then stops and closes her mouth. She frowns lightly as she chews her bottom lip. Man, I really want to kiss her again.

"Is this some kinda joke? It's not funny," she snaps. I shake my head, at loss for words. She raises her arm to smack me again, but she stops less than an inch from my face. Instead she turns around and stomps off.

Rocke walks up to me laughing, "That was really entertaining. By the way you were going at it, I thought you actually liked her. Man, her reaction was priceless..." His words are nothing but a distant buzz in my ears; I really don't hear them. I'm to busy watching Deline take out her emotions on a dummy. She is basically tearing the thing to bits. Wow, she's amazing and I'm not talking about her knife skill, I'm talking about her.

**Please, please, pretty please review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Deline Halow**

I breathe in deeply and open my eyes to take in my surroundings. The sun shines brightly in the deep blue sky. It would be a beautiful day, except the fact I'm in the fricken arena just waiting for a gong to sound. This is potentially the last day of my life and, somehow, I'm ok with that. I really don't fear death and deep down that kinda bothers me.

I scan the area. It's different. It has tall brown grass that comes up to my waist as far as the eye can see; there are no hills and very few trees. I have no idea what to call this landscape. It's definitely not forest or tundra. The temperature reminds me of what they call a desert, but that's not what it is. It's kinda like a dried out meadow.

The tributes are in a circle around the golden cornucopia. I keep a lookout for my target, Tavian Brae. He has to die, no matter what.

The bell sounds and I run forwards. I spot what I need, a couple knives. I snatch them up, along with a small bag and dash away. It is madness! I see blood splatter the ground as someone falls. I barely dodge a sword to the head from the District 1 guy. I stab at him with the knife and it sticks. I'm not sure if it killed him or not though. I'll have to find Brae later; I'd rather escape with my life for now.

I cut through the tall grass escaping from the cornucopia. A spear comes soaring at me and misses me by less than an inch. I felt the wind rushing through my ear. That is way to close for comfort. I dive down so the grass covers my head, concealing me from sight. It slows me down a little bit, but it is worth it. Nothing else sharp and potentially dangerous comes my way.

I slow down to take a break after a little bit. The cannon starts signaling the deaths of all those killed in the bloodbath. It sounds nine times. All those poor kids, gone forever. It puts a sick feeling in my stomach.

From behind me, a hand slaps over my mouth. I didn't even hear the person coming. I can't die yet. I still need to kill Brae. After that I'd gladly die. I jab my elbow into the person's gut and whoever it is doubles over in pain. I spin around and put the knife to his throat. I don't know the kid. I'm pretty sure he's a year or two younger than me, though he is quite a bit taller. I think he is from 9 or something. I can see the fear in his eyes. Somehow, he reminds me of Drevor even though they look nothing alike.

I can't bring myself to press the knife deeper. I sigh and slowly remove the knife. The boy looks at me. "I don't wanna hurt ya," I say. He looks shocked but nods quickly, not going to press his luck. Now that I look closer, he is completely unarmed. I wonder why he came so close to attacking.

"Do you want to be allies?" he asks hesitantly.

"No, I'm working alone." He looks disappointed so I say "I'm gonna take out a Career or two; trust me, ya don't wanna be part of it."

"Really?" he asks and I nod. He laughs, "Are you crazy?" I've heard that one quite a bit, it doesn't bother me.

"Maybe," I say. I toss him a knife, I seriously have a couple to spare and he will need it, "Good luck," I say to him as I walk off. I don't look back.

It's getting late and I'm so thirsty. I really need some water. I almost wish I didn't tell the mentor to concentrate on the kid, instead of me. I lick my lips lightly. First thing that comes to mind is Tavian's lips on mine. Um, eew. Ugh, I'm so grossed out over the fact that he even thought about doing that. He is nasty, and vile, and horrible, and kinda cute. Whoa eww! My mind is betrayin' me! Better stick to thinking how evil he really is and how his brothers destroyed my family. I start walking off; I have no idea where I'm headed.

As the sun sets, I see a small patch of trees. Looks as good a place as any for the night, hopefully there's some water. This terrain-well any outdoor landscape for that matter-is so foreign to me. I grew up in District 5, a city. I approach the wooded area and find a small stream. I can either die of thirst or drink and hope it won't kill me. I choose to take a chance and slake my thirst. The water is so cool and refreshing, it is amazing. I climb up the nearest tree and find a thick, sturdy branch to relax as best as possible on. I'm so tired right now, I think it's the stress.

Next thing I know, I'm startled awake by voices. I don't know how or when I fell asleep. I look down and directly below me is a fire and two shadowy figures. Who is really stupid enough to light a fire? It will attract enemies like nothing else. I'm a city girl who rarely sees green grass and even I know that! I strain my ears to listen to the conversation.

"Tracking is a lot harder than it looks! I can't believe we didn't find a single person," a whiny girl's voice complains. Tracking usually means Careers. Careers will mean Brae.

"Shut up will you. Where are they? We were supposed to meet here over an hour ago," says a deep guy's voice. It sounds familiar but I have to think hard to place it. It's the District 4 loser, so that must mean that Brae will be with them soon.

I quietly adjust my position. I swing my leg around and end up kicking something; I think it's a bird. Squawk! It loudly chirps. "Oh shoot, shut up dumb bird," I hiss at it. It repeats my words only much, much louder. Below, the Careers look up. The bird starts to say it again, but I take the knife and cut off its head in one quick swoop. But it is too late, more jaberjays pick up on the words. They keep saying "Oh shoot, shut up dumb bird" over and over again. The volume grows louder and louder as more birds join.

I swing the knife madly, taking out birds with every movement. They basically swarm around me in a cacophonous feathered mob. I kill one after another, but it's too late. They already revealed my location. As I wield the knife, one of my legs slip. I try to balance myself but the swirling mass of birds block me. A scream escapes my lips as I fall to the ground.

I land, quite hard, in the District 4 guy's outstretched arms. I didn't realize how big his biceps are before now. Hitting the ground probably would've been less painful. "What do we have here?" he taunts. I kick him in the head and leap from his grasp. My knife fell just out of reach. I dive for it. My fingertips barely reach the bloodstained blade when the guy grabs my ankle and drags me back.

I kick out at him, but he dodges. He leans over and grabs both of my wrists in one hand, securing them quite tightly. This is not looking good. He has me hanging off the ground by one of my ankles and my arms. I am completely helpless at this point. I kick him with my free leg in the knees. I was aiming a little higher, but that will have to do. He drops me and I fall to the leaf covered ground.

He dives and lands on top of me, knocking my breath from me. He weighs at least twice as much as me. He grins as I try to struggle out. He grabs my arms and twists them above my head and plants a knee on me, keeping me down. "Hey, Cleo," he barks at the girl, "Get me that knife!" The blonde bends over, picks up my knife and hands it carefully to the District 4 guy.

He drags the flat of the blade over my face, not to hurt me but to intimidate me. There is no pain because he isn't even using the sharp edge, but I feel the icy metal against my skin. It's not a pleasant feeling. The guy puts his face right in mine, "Scared?"

"No. Should I be?" I say.

He laughs, "Yeah, you should be terrified." He presses the knife into my cheek and I feel a light trickle of blood. He whispers, "I'd kill you right now, but Tavian called dibs on your death. But don't think that will stop me from hurting you." He raises the knife and grins wickedly.


	10. Chapter 10

**Tavian Brae**

The Hunger Games are so different in person. On tv it looks so much easier. I listen as the cannon announce the results of the bloodbath. Nine shots. Two of those were from me. I stabbed the boy from 12 as he attempted to run away through the grass. I also got a sword on the District 7 girl; she put up a decent fight with her ax, but it wasn't enough. Faces light up the sky, all of us Careers easily survived except the District 1 guy. I didn't trust him anyway. Deline is alive too. I'm not exactly sure how to feel about that. I really don't want to kill her personally, but for me to win she must die.

My District partner Cleo suggests that we split up for our first night of hunting the weaker tributes.

"See the woods over there," Rocke says as he points in the distance, "we'll meet there at three-ish in the morning"

"Sounds good to me," I say as I head off with the District 1 girl, Opal.

The tall grass is itchy on my legs. There aren't many hiding places in this prairie. There are the trees in the distance and some large rock formations. Other than that, it's a barren wasteland. I see a person in the distance. Opal grins and wordlessly circles around the other way, cutting off any chance of escape.

The girl sees me and turns to run away. But she smacks right into Opal who slashes into her with a dagger. A gurgled scream escapes from her as she hits the ground. Her blood stains the surrounding dirt red. The cannon goes off with a satisfying boom.

"Ten down, thirteen to go," I mutter. Opal nods her agreement with a huge satisfied smile.

"Now what? Head back or keep tracking?" she asks.

"We've got plenty of time. Let's keep this exciting for the viewers back home," I say. No one will ever be able say that Lux outshined me after this.

We continue moving but don't find anyone else. Where is everyone? The arena is pretty silent, it's eerie.

Opal jumps and inches closer to me, "Did you hear that?" she whispers.

"What?"

"That!" she hisses. I strain my ears and hear a weird soft whisper. It seems to be coming from a distance. We keep heading towards the woods, thinking that it might be the rest of the Careers. It couldn't be mutts this early in the Game, can it? As we get closer, it gets louder. All of a sudden, the noise is broken by a piercing, blood-curdling scream. The whispery chant stops abruptly. If it was mutts, they must've seriously injured the tribute. Well, that puts me one step closer to victory.

Opal and I head towards the fire, either it's Rocke and the others, or someone we can kill. I break through the branches. Okay, not what I had in mind. It is the worst possible scenario. Rocke and Cleo are there, but they aren't alone. Rocke has Deline pinned underneath him. There is some blood running down her face and Rocke is waving a knife threateningly above her.

I don't know what comes over me. I run and tackle Rocke-my closest ally-off of the girl.

"What the Quell are you doing?" Rocke yells at me.

"Get out of here! Run!" I yell at Deline. I really don't want to see her die. She stares at me in shock and then her eyes widen. I look behind me; Cleo has an arrow aimed at my head. Deline springs and in one fluid motion she grabs a knife and drives it through Cleo's side. My district partner gasps and then crumbles to the ground. The cannon booms. Deline just saved me. Does she like me?

Deline doesn't stop there though. She spins around and slashes the knife, slitting Opal's throat.

I'm so busy watching her, that I forget about Rocke. "Traitor!" he yells as he stabs me in the arm with a dagger. My arm sears in pain. I punch him in the face and he retaliates with a fist to the gut. I wrench the dagger from my arm and stab it at him. Rocke dodges and it gets stuck in the dirt beside him. He reaches over to grab it. I lunge for it too. That little dagger will be the difference of life or death!

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Deline running towards us. She flings herself on Rocke's back. Her thin arms wrap around his neck, sufficiently strangling him. Rocke yells in fury and tries to throw her off. She's got an iron grip.

"Don't just stand there, idiot!" she screams, "stab him!" Oh, she's talking to me. I wrench the dagger from the ground and send it into his heart. Rocke groans at the impact, and goes limp and hits the ground hard. His cannon echoes.

I stand there, breathless. I stare at Deline. She brushes her hair out her face, but she doesn't take her eyes off of me. "That was amazing! I freakin love you!" I say. There's that word again. Love. This time I believe it: I love her.

"You're seriously messed up," she mutters.

"So are you!" I say gently, moving closer to her. I take her in my arms and she stays relaxed. I lean over and press my lips to hers once again. This time it's even more amazing. She presses herself against me and slowly runs her hand through my hair.

After a long beautiful moment, she pulls back slightly, "Tavian," she whispers.

"Hmm..." I mutter as I press my face into her neck.

"I hate you," she hisses. Then I feel it. The deep, burning pain wrenches through the middle of my back. She twists the knife and the pain doubles. I can't help it, I fall to my knees. She takes a step back and that half smile crosses her face. She shoves me and I fall to the ground.

I can't believe it, I'm dying. "Are you going to win this?" I ask her. If this is my last minute, I'd like to spend it with her.

"What?" she looks shocked, as if the idea never occured to her.

"You deserve it. You just took out about the whole Career pack single handedly," my voice is leaving me, but I have to get the words out.

"I'm killing you. After that I have nothing else to live for," she hisses. She raises the knife to end my life.

"Wait," I say and she hesitates. I continue, "Just one last thing, I love you." Her face screws up in disgust. Guess she doesn't feel the same way. The knife in my back should've been my first clue.

"Whatever," she mutters as she rolls her eyes. She lifts the knife again and I brace myself for the final blow. Deline takes the knife and plunges it into her own chest.

The cannon goes off before she even hits the ground. She just killed herself! And yet somehow, she looks peaceful. She is even smiling.

Each breath I take becomes more and more painful. I never thought about the afterlife before. I always just assumed that I would go into the 47th Hunger Games and win. I would be the one killing, not dying. So much for that plan. I just hope that death is beautiful. Deline occupies the last thought of my life.

**Don't get all mad at me people! I had to kill them. Be realistic, it's the Hunger Games not every story has a happy ending.**


End file.
